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By Ericka Grizzard I won’t keep you in suspense because I can tell you without even looking at your tree, that the answer to that question is going to be “No.” I’ve actually encountered a few people who have proclaimed their entire tree to be “finished,” and they’ve definitely garnered an eye roll because they…

By Roccie Hill The Origin of Last Names If you have ever had to search on a genealogical website for someone with only one name (as with many historic tribal cultures), you will know that giving people first and last names was a huge step forward. Last names, or surnames/family names, are universal today, but…

By Lori Samuelson Most families have stories that have been passed down for generations. Some legends are poignant, while others are fanciful. Only through careful research can the accuracy of those tall tales be discovered. Caution is needed in blindly believing a family story. Over the years, many clients have wanted me to prove their…

By Roccie Hill We all reach the point where we are fascinated by who came before…in our families, our areas, and our eras. Of course, we usually begin with our own families, because we know this will be easier than a more general historical search. We think it will produce results quickly, and we hope…

By Ericka Guzzard Do you have a branch of your family in a certain county where you just can’t find any records? You may be dealing with research in a “burned county.” This designation was first used for counties in Virginia whose courthouses had been burned down during the Civil War (1861-1865). The terminology has…

By Roccie Hill The first thing fledgling genealogists do if they have disposable income is to subscribe to any or many of the fee-based databases for genealogical research. It makes sense. These are the companies that collect, index, and disseminate information we so passionately want. But is this the wisest path for amateur or professional…

By Charlotte Andersen Provincial Archive In Denmark, we have more than 500 provincial archives and they store pictures, letters and other records from a precise area. Most of the provincial archives have a webpage, where you can see a couple of the records they have, but the provincial archives throughout Denmark have also joined together…

By Charlotte Andersen Census Lists Censuses have been held in Denmark at various intervals. The first census was held in 1787, and thereafter in 1801, 1834, 1840, 1845, 1850, 1855, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1890, 1901, 1911, 1916, 1921, 1925, 1930, 1940, 1950, 1960 and 1970. Hereafter a national CPR-register (Civil Registration System) made the census…

By Charlotte Andersen When I started to make a family tree about four years ago, I didn’t know anything about researching. I just wanted to make a small family tree with the names of my parents, grandparents and maybe my great-grandparents. I thought that it could be fun for my children to know the names…

By Jeanne Rollberg Ja! Following Your Dala Horses and Swedish Ancestors’ Migrations When those of Swedish descent in other countries seek their ancestors and culture, they’re sometimes enthralled by the prevalence of the colorful traveling Dala horse. It’s the symbol of Sweden that is highlighted during the holidays. The horse was once used as a toy…

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